HOLY SEE EXPRESSES MORAL SUPPORT FOR TAIWAN'S

C O N F I D E N T I A L VATICAN 002046 SIPDIS DEPT. FOR EUR/WE (MENNUTI),EAP/TC (KEEGAN AND KINGSLAND) E.O. 12958: DECL: 05/08/2013 TAGS: PREL SOCI TBIO CH TW VT SUBJECT: HOLY SEE EXPRESSES MORAL SUPPORT FOR TAIWAN'S PARTICIPATION IN WHO GENERAL ASSEMBLY REF: HARDT-KEEGAN 4/28 E-MAIL CLASSIFIED BY: CDA BRENT HARDT FOR REASONS 1.5(B) AND (D) ¶1. (C) HOLY SEE DEPUTY FOREIGN MINISTER PAROLIN CONTACTED DCM APRIL 28 TO CONVEY THE VATICAN'S MORAL SUPPORT FOR TAIWANESE PARTICIPATION IN THE WORLD HEALTH ORGANIZATION, WHICH THEY HAVE CAST AS A "HUMANITARIAN ISSUE." PAROLIN UNDERSTOOD FROM THE TAIWANESE, WHO HAD CALLED ON HIM THAT DAY, THAT THE TAIWANESE WERE COORDINATING THEIR STRATEGY IN REGARD TO THE UPCOMING WHO GENERAL ASSEMBLY IN GENEVA WITH THE U.S., EU AND JAPAN. THE TEXT OF THE HOLY SEE'S PRO MEMORIA, PREVIOUSLY FAXED TO EAP/TC, FOLLOWS: ¶2. (U) BEGIN TEXT OF PRO MEMORIA PARTICIPATION OF THE REPUBLIC OF CHINA (ROC) TO THE ACTIVITIES OF THE WORLD HEALTH ORGANIZATION (OMS) THE EMBASSY OF THE REPUBLIC OF CHINA TO THE HOLY SEE HAS PROVIDED THE SECRETARIAT OF STATE WITH THE FOLLOWING "CONFIDENTIAL" INFORMATION: (NOTE: THIS IS NOT A USG CLASSIFICATION. A COPY OF THE ORIGINAL DOCUMENT WAS FAXED TO POST VIA UNCLASSIFIED TELEPHONE LINE.) THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA, JAPAN AND THE EUROPEAN UNION AGREE TO HAVE TAIWAN PARTICIPATE IN THE ACTIVITIES OF THE WORLD HEALTH ORGANIZATION. THE THREE POLITICAL ENTITIES ARE STUDYING THE JURIDICAL-PRACTICAL FORMULA FOR SUCH PARTICIPATION AND, FOR THIS PURPOSE, ARE HOLDING MEETINGS IN VIEW OF THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF THE O.M.S. SCHEDULED IN GENEVA ON MAY 19-28, 2003. THE GOVERNMENT OF THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA, ON ITS OWN, IS PARTICULARLY ACTIVE IN OBTAINING SUCH RESULT. ON MONDAY, APRIL 28, A PRIVATE MEETING WILL TAKE PLACE IN WASHINGTON WITH PROF. KAU YING-MAO, VICE-MINISTRY OF FOREIGN AFFAIRS OF TAIWAN, AND OFFICERS FROM THE STATE DEPARTMENT, WITH THE PURPOSE OF SETTING UP A STRATEGY TO BE ADOPTED ON OCCASION OF THE FORTHCOMING WORLD GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF THE O.M.S. PROF. KAU ALREADY EXPLAINED TO THE SECRETARIAT OF STATE DURING THE 3 APRIL MEETING WITH MONS.PAROLIN, UNDERSECRETARY FOR RELATIONS WITH STATES, THE POSITION OF HIS OWN GOVERNMENT CONCERNING THE R.O.C. PARTICIPATION IN THE O.M.S.,S WORKS. THE SECTION FOR RELATIONS WITH STATES OF THE SECRETARIAT OF STATE, WISHES TO EXPRESS MORAL SUPPORT TO THE INITIATIVE OF THE DEPARTMENT OF STATE, THINKING THAT IT IS A HUMANITARIAN ISSUE. THE PRESENT INFORMATION SHOULD BE DELIVERED AT THE EARLIEST POSSIBLE TIME TO THE ATTENTION OF MR. DAVID KEEGAN AND MS. DEBORAH KINGSLAND, RESPONSIBLE FOR THE TAIWAN COORDINATION STAFF OF THE STATE DEPARTMENT. VATICAN CITY, APRIL 28, 2003 END TEXT ¶3. (C) COMMENT: THE TAIWAN EMBASSY WAS CLEARLY WORKING THIS COMMUNICATION ACTIVELY, HAVING PHONED EMBASSY POLOFF TO ALERT HIM BEFORE THE VATICAN CALLED. THEY CITED THE SARS EPIDEMIC AS A REASON TO MOVE QUICKLY TO BRING TAIWAN INTO THE WHO. THE HUMANITARIAN FOCUS, TOGETHER WITH THE POTENTIAL SUPPORT OF THE USG AND OTHER PLAYERS, ALLOWED THE HOLY SEE IN THIS CASE TO VOICE ITS SUPPORT WITHOUT JEOPARDIZING FUTURE DIALOG WITH THE PRC ABOUT THE CHURCH'S STATUS IN CHINA. END COMMENT. HARDT NNNN 2003VATICA02046 - Classification: CONFIDENTIAL